Nador West Port Med constitutes a significant asset in the dynamic of construction of port and logistics platforms in the Kingdom. The Nador region occupies a major geostrategic position, facing Southern Europe. Built 30 km from Nador, the Nador West Med port represents a new industrial-port hub looking to the future. Ultimately, in 2027, it will have an annual capacity of 3 million TEU containers, 25 million tonnes of hydrocarbons, 7 million tonnes of coal, and 3 million tonnes of various other goods.
The North-East of Morocco, long marginalized, has experienced regional, territorial and economic disparities compared to the center of the country. Several large-scale projects have been launched such as the Oujda Technopole, the Berkane Agropole and Saidia-Fadesa. Significant development must accompany these major projects in order to exploit the dynamic potential of the region.
The Nador West Med (NWM) port complex is a new infrastructure added to the Oriental region, intended to support the economic and industrial development of the hinterland as well as the standard of living of the local population. For several years, the Kingdom has adopted a proactive industrial emergence strategy, based on the implementation of infrastructure and the diversification of industrial branches to create wealth, employment and growth.
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This diversity makes it possible to improve the attraction of investments and the external competitiveness of the economic and industrial fabric. The Oriental region, long perceived as peripheral, has been characterized by a territorial imbalance between the Northern and Southern regions and penalized by a strong informal economy. The objective is to modernize this region and make it more competitive.
The decision to locate companies can be explained by two distinct visions: on the one hand, by the demand expressed by the company in terms of factors likely to interest it and meet its needs, and on the other hand, by an offer evaluated in relation to the attributes of the territory, capable of interest the company and generating development of the territory. The organization of the territory aims to highlight the desire of decision-makers to address actors capable of positively impacting the territory through investments and productive capital.
Lever for industrial development
As part of the guidelines of Morocco’s port strategy for 2030 and the desire to engage in balanced regional development, Morocco has launched the construction of the Nador West Med (NWM) project on the western maritime facade of the Cap des Trois Fourches, 30 km from Nador. Nador occupies a geostrategic position in relation to Europe.
The Nador West Med port constitutes the extension of the Tanger Med cluster, thus becoming the future port and project for modernization and expansion of port capacities. This large industrial and energy port complex has a free export zone as well as a storage center for hydrocarbons oriented towards Europe, thus representing an essential component of Morocco’s port strategy for 2030. Since its launch in 2016, the construction of the port has been carried out in several phases. Once the work is completed, the port is expected to have an annual capacity of 3 million TEU containers, 25 million tonnes of hydrocarbons, 7 million tonnes of coal, and 3 million tonnes of various other goods.
The Nador West Med port will be open in a few months, probably at the beginning of 2025. The effective entry into service of the entire port and logistics platform is scheduled for 2027. This mega-project, including studies, planning and works started around ten years ago, will soon inject new capacities which will create synergies and complementarities with Tanger Med and, later, with the port of Dakhla Atlantique.
The Nador West Med East Container Terminal will have a quay of 1,520 meters, or almost 5,000 feet, at a depth of approximately 60 feet. This will make it possible to process 3.4 million TEUs per year. Additional capacities will also be added (2 million TEUs).
Nador West Med will also include an oil terminal capable of handling 25 million tonnes per year, a coal terminal with a capacity of 7 million tonnes, and a capacity of 3 million tonnes for general merchandise.
Its geostrategic position facing Southern Europe constitutes a significant asset. The Nador West Med port represents a major asset for the Oriental region, thanks in particular to the region’s potential and its favorable position vis-à-vis Europe. The Nador West Med port makes it possible to create an integrated port platform, articulated around the industrial, logistics and tertiary pole. This industrial-port infrastructure includes in particular a new deep-water port and an integrated industrial platform.
